


José Needs A Job

by football83



Category: José Mourinho - Fandom, Men's Football RPF, Original Work
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2020-11-27 18:43:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20953142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/football83/pseuds/football83
Summary: Set 6 months after José & Vida RepriseInvolving some marital issues and more importantly the fact José is unemployed....





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [José & Vida : Reprise](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18497524) by [football83](https://archiveofourown.org/users/football83/pseuds/football83). 

“This has to stop” José said, clipping his watch back around his wrist and squinting at the time. 

Vida shot him a withering look as she buttoned her shirt and brushed her hair.

“I’m serious” he reiterated, now standing and pulling on his jacket “I’ll see you there” he added, the kiss he placed on her cheek was out of politeness more than anything. 

Vida sighed loudly and perched at the end of the bed, the rooms he’d been booking had become soulless over the last few weeks and she knew there was a significance to that, and she knew he was right about everything else, she just wasn’t prepared to admit that yet. 

Their marital home was beautiful, close to his family, their friends and decorated exquisitely, yet collectively they’d spent less than 6 months living there together since they got married 18 months ago. Vida played with the wedding band on her finger and took her phone out of her bag, a missed call from Matthew, a text from José saying he wanted to spend some time with her after their couples therapy. Vida winced. Therapy. They were 10 weeks in, some weeks were good, some bad but each session was preceded by fantastic sex in a different hotel room, every Tuesday at 2pm without fail. Neither of them had discussed this at an appointment, but she knew José thought it was dysfunctional and inevitable that he would bring it up soon. 

José smiled when she walked in to the modest waiting room and sat next to him, Vida sensed his agitation “Hey” 

He remained silent, what he had to say could be said in the room with the therapist and on the record, he just hoped that it would be productive and not heated. 

“So, last week we talked a little about work, you’re working in the UK for the rest of the year Vida correct?” Dr Graham asked for clarity, Vida nodded and confirmed “All of my projects are London or Southern based so that I can dedicate my time to this” 

José simpered next to her, his fists clenching. Dr Graham noticed, “José you seem a little perplexed today, shall we talk about it?” 

José swallowed, “We don’t live together, go out together, do anything other than….” He paused and looked at his wife, she looked tired “We meet an hour before coming here and have sex” he said matter of factly, Dr Graham nodded “How long has that been happening?” 

“Since the first session” Vida confirmed. 

“Let’s talk about this further, earlier this year Vida you were working away and José visited on your wedding anniversary primarily for sex, we spoke about the physical side of your relationship then and we agreed it wasn’t an issue, yet for a married couple to be for want of a better word - estranged, meeting only once a week for couples counselling but maintaining that aspect is not standard behaviour” 

Vida took a sip of water, José stared at her as though his opinion had been fully validated, “I agree” she said, shocking him momentarily “But, I enjoy sex with him, I always have” she reasoned “Are you saying I can’t do that?” 

“You’re good with fucking me, but not being married to me?!” José boomed back at her, he closed his eyes before apologising to both of them, Dr Graham checked they were both OK to continue and then asked “Tell me about the sex, do you communicate or is it going through the motions? Fill me in a little” 

Vida glanced at him, “He books the hotel, texts me the room number, I knock on the door and sometimes we will make it to the bed, sometimes it will be right up against the door…” she stopped, José intercepted “Hmm, that’s true…. but it’s loving and….intense, passionate…. like it’s always been” 

“Except today he told me he had to stop” She shrugged.

“It does! It’s weird Vida, you’re my wife but we’re creeping around in shitty hotel rooms, I’m done with it” he declared, one hand brushing through his silver hair and pulling it tightly to ease some tension in his head “Morocco wasn’t all about that, I missed you, I missed us….”

“You wanted me home José, just like you do now, we’ve been over this too many times - I won’t be the wife you want, I’m not Rina”

José scoffed, “I don’t want you to be her! But I do want you to be a stepmother to my kids, my best friend…my wife” 

“Don’t you see yourself in that role Vida?” Dr Graham asked, his notepad now perching on his knee and his glasses on top of his head. 

“I love those bloody kids, fuck I even love his ex-wife but I don’t need this pressure from him about being away from home. I was with him during the United job, he was away a lot and I got through it, sure - I travelled with them when I could but never did I declare that he spend more time focussing on me over his career, and I swear that’s the crux of this José - you’re not working, you’re overthinking, you’re just…. suffocating me” 

His eyes widened and became misty, Vida slouched down, “I see you once a week for fucks sake” 

“And still I feel suffocated!” she yelled.

Dr Graham intervened, fearing that this could descend back into an unproductive slanging match “OK, listen… José give Vida some space, yes you only see her once a week but you’re in constant contact with her yeah?” 

He nodded shamefully, “She’s my wife”

Dr Graham nodded and smiled “She is, but we all deal with conflict differently. Now Vida, compromise with José, organise a family get together maybe - “

“In this atmosphere?! Are you for real?!” She snapped.

“The idea is to make you realise that your dynamic in these situations works Vida, think back to family events in the past, you’ve said José’s family mean a lot to you, so have them over at your place, keep it informal, spend quality time around one another and then at the end of it go your separate ways and don’t contact each other for the rest of the day” 

They exchanged glances, and agreed. 

“Good, as for the physical relationship you’re having, believe me when I tell you José this is not a bad thing, it’s fragmented sure, but your wife still desires and needs you, we’ll work more on this next week OK?” 

They walked outside in silence, he gripped her hand as it fell by her side and stopped her dead “Are you complaining about the hotel room thing?” she asked.

His gaze was intense and fixed on her face “I can’t compartmentalise like you” he explained, “I want you, I would never turn you down….but you have to admit it’s clinical, it’s… it’s not us Vida” 

She licked her lips, “What is us? You flying around the world to meet me while I’m working? Me comforting you after a loss? Tell me” 

He had ushered them down the street to a secluded side street and stood in front of her again, “I don’t need to tell you that, this isn’t new to either of us. I know I need to work, but I’ll get a job when it feels right you have to respect that” 

Vida laughed “And in the meantime you want me to look on as you trivialise your career with betting adverts and punditry?” 

Wow, that was gutsy. José was taken aback, “Thank god you’re not my agent eh?” he jested - it was the only thing he could do, taking offence would be pointless and it did ignite a brief smirk from her “We’ll talk tomorrow?” he asked, “Call me when Matthew goes to work” 

Vida walked in the opposite direction and didn’t look back.


	2. Chapter 2

“Morning” 

“Hmm….Good Morning” he replied deeply down the phone, the image in her head of him was on the money - still under the duvet, messy silver hair, legs sprawled out. 

Vida smiled to herself but the pleasure of knowing him so well soon turned into crippling regret because of this fucked up situation, “Sleep well?” she asked, such a boring question…

She heard him fidget, “Not really” he answered, “I haven’t slept well in months” 

José hadn’t meant it as a dig, or anything negative - he was just being honest “How about you?” he asked when the line went silent “Have you been out running already?” 

Vida sipped her tea, “Actually no, Matt is short staffed at some event in the City so I said I’d help him out, my prep work for next week is done so it seemed preferable to slouching about around here all day” 

He rubbed his tired eyes and sat up in bed, their bed “Let me take you to dinner afterwards?” 

“Aren’t we meant to be arranging this family gathering?” she reminded him quietly “I mean, if the kids aren’t busy?” 

“Let’s talk it over at dinner” he told her, pulling his knees upwards under the sheets, yesterday in the hotel room was more fraught and frenetic than horizontal and calm and his knees were certainly paying for it, hearing the sheets rhythmically moving Vida raised an eyebrow.

“You OK there?” she asked with a brief laugh.

“I’m rubbing my…” he paused for effect, then laughed himself “Knees!” 

There was a comfortable silence followed by a throaty groan as José spun his legs out of bed and on to the carpet, “So, dinner yeah?” he prompted “San Marco around 8?” 

Vida agreed, “I should get going, Matthew’s going to be stressed beyond belief if I’m late” 

“Well, have fun…” he paused wondering whether he should tell her what his plans for the day were, fuck it why not, “I have interviews this morning, then a charity lunch” 

“Keeping your profile up?” 

“Depends how you look at it, I could be doing that, or I could just be trivialising my career…see you tonight Vi” 

He hung up, there was some hurt in his voice at the end and she felt like shit knowing that what she’d said had clearly affected him, he’d laughed it off to save face yesterday but he was feeling pressure from all angles regarding his career. 

***

“Hey Dad” Cleo chimed with a smile as he approached the kitchen and headed straight for the fancy coffee machine, “You want me to do that?” she asked thankfully - it was Vida’s thing, he had no idea how it worked.

“Thanks Cle” he said before placing and arm around her shoulder, trying to take in what the hell she was doing with various bits of machinery “When did coffee become this complicated huh?” 

Cleo giggled, “Don’t be so old Dad!” 

He smiled proudly and sat down, scrolling through the messages on his phone as he waited for his caffeine hit, “You want me to stay again tonight?” his daughter asked, cautious that he was going through a rough time, “Because I can, but it’s Gabriel’s birthday and…”

José waved his hand “I’ll be fine, seriously, I’m taking Vida to dinner tonight anyway” 

Cleo placed his coffee down and sat opposite him on one of the high stools “Yeah? Awesome!”

He nodded “And we’ll be having a party this weekend so bring Gabriel, I’ll speak to your brother…”

Cleo interrupted “Does this mean she’s moving back in?” 

José shrugged “I really can’t answer that but we’re working at it” 

***  
Vida arrived at the Barbican just after 9am, she admired its architecture as always - London’s ugliest building some called it, but she couldn’t see that, with omnipresent camera in hand she took a few snaps for posterity, they’d go on her blog later on and surprise a few readers who usually visited for rare birds and such like. 

Matthew clocked her through the foyer, on her knees and scrolling through her images, he approached silently, hands on his lithe hips and glasses balancing on the bridge of his elegant nose, “Darling, get the fuck up” he said with a half-whisper.

Vida didn’t look up, the brown Paul Smith brogues that came into her view a few seconds prior to his voice didn’t bother her “In a minute” she told him firmly, “This IS a favour you know”

She rose to her feet eventually and the two friends stared at each other wondering who would speak first, Matthew went ahead “You look tired Vida, and pale, and like you’re minus a Portuguese husband” 

Vida shook her head, “Do you want my help or not?” 

They strolled back inside and Matthew soon set her to work, dressing tables, folding napkins, filling champagne glasses, “Being your dogsbody is actually not so bad” she told him, proud of her efforts.

“Looks superb Vi, now, walk with me” he said gripping her elbow and directing them out of the posh suite they were in and across to one of the quiet and modest coffee bars, he ordered the drinks and they sat overlooking the vast array of horticulture that the Barbican offered. Vida was seconds from taking pictures again until Matthew grabbed her camera and put it around his neck “I need you to listen to me, quit with the fucking photos for 5 minutes” 

Vida’s eyes bulged, “OK, what did I do wrong?” 

His heart sank at her vulnerability, but someone needed to be honest with her “You left the best guy on the planet Vida, and why? Because he flew to Morocco and told you he missed you? I love you Vida but my flat isn’t big enough for us to coexist and not want to kill each other, you have a beautiful house in Chelsea that you worked hard to get, and you deserve it….” he paused, her face was expressionless “Is that what this is? You thinking you don’t deserve it?”

She shrugged.

“Why can’t you allow yourself to be happy?”

“Wow, that’s one loaded question right there” Vida replied with a nervous guffaw “Don’t you think I talk about this in therapy Matt? About how shit I am at all this stuff?” 

“You’re not shit, you just won’t allow yourself to be good!” He told her, “And you’ve married a guy who would move the earth for you if he could” 

“You only see what you want to” she told him “You know he told me to quit the long distance stuff, who the fuck does he think he is? It’s my career!” 

Matthew rubbed his forehead, “I respect your fierce independence, of course I do - and I know why you’re this way, don’t you go forgetting this is me Vida, I know you better than you know yourself, but you made vows to José, you made promises to him…. you’ve had a fifteen year career so far with no one to please but yourself, no one to rely on but yourself but you’re married to him Vida - you signed up to compromise, a step family, and his ex-wife, you signed up to have this man be your partner for the rest of your life, you’re eighteen months into it and living back with me like we’re 20 again… how do you think that makes him feel?” 

Fuck. He’d said it all. She was gobsmacked. 

“What time does this thing start?” she asked as she stood and regained custody of her camera. 

Matthew sighed deeply, she didn’t argue back - that was encouraging, “1 o’clock” 

Vida nodded, “See you back here at 1 then” 

***

“Thank you” José said as he got out of the taxi which dropped him at his charity lunch, this area of London wasn’t overly familiar to him but he followed the signs and when he heard the familiar sound of shutters and various hollers for him to look “Over ‘ere José!” he knew he was in the right place.

“Who are you wearing?” A charming young journalist asked him as he approached the steps “Armani” he replied with a cool aloofness and the subtlest of winks in the young woman’s direction, he noted her smirk before she thanked him. He felt pathetic for the rush of confidence the exchange gave him, “Idiot..” he said, chiding himself.

Matthew stood amidst the activity, best placed for any mishaps or any possible firefighting he may have to do in terms of crowd management or drink replenishment. He had seen José arrive, unaware that he was involved in the charity of course and walked across to greet his best friend’s husband, “Great to see you José” Matt said as the two men shook hands, “I had no idea you were involved with this charity?”

The two men chatted for some time until José’s attention was diverted by the image of his wife serving champagne to various celebrity guests and charity members, “Damn.. yes she said this morning she was helping you, fuck….” he panicked, not wanting to embarrass her, or cause any kind of scene that could compromise her whatsoever.

“Leave her to me” Matthew said reassuringly, tapping the older man on his shoulder as he strode over to Vida and turned her back towards the kitchen, wondering what the hell was going on Vida struggled free from his grasp, “José is here, I didn’t know I swear” 

Vida stood up straight and grabbed a glass of red wine from the drinks station and placed it on a circular tray, “No big deal” she told Matthew, pushing open the double doors, locating and then swaggering across the room to her husband. José licked his lips and locked his gaze with hers as she came towards him, her hips swaying in a tight fitting black skirt and short waitresses apron, she stopped dead and asked “Red wine Sir?” 

José swallowed and took the glass, there was a finite amount of attention on them both in that moment, “Aren’t you Vida Carter?” a bohemian-styled lady asked politely, “I’ve been to all of your exhibitions” she added, not at all impressed by José, he was stoic though and placed a supportive arm around his wife’s waist “Actually, I got married so I dropped the Carter part” she said kindly “But thank you so much” the lady looked José up and down, “And you’re serving drinks because?” 

Vida beamed a wide smile, “Oh, my best friend is events director, he needed some extra manpower!”

“Phew!” the lady said, dramatically grabbing her chest “I thought for a moment you’d had a career change!” 

José’s thumb had been stroking her hip the entire time and he felt so compelled just listening to Vida and this woman discuss her work, “I’m away next week on an assignment in Brighton” Vida divulged, “You subscribe to my blog?” The female fan nodded profusely “Oh it’s just beautiful Vida, your trip to Casablanca was stunning, and the trip you made to the Azores in 2016 was simply breathtaking” 

Vida glanced at José, the Azores was one of their first ever trips away together, “Well this man is to thank for that trip” 

Amused at how the woman couldn’t have cared less about his presence José left them chatting while he found his seat prior to the start of the event, he kept causally gazing over - almost an hour into lunch they were still sat together talking. 

***

“Oh go through José, she’s just in the office” Matt advised as they had almost finished cleaning up, “Probably shattered from a proper day’s work!” he teased, making José smile. 

“Your number one fan left eventually then?” José asked as he found her, uploading photos using Matthew’s laptop.

Vida giggled “Bless her, she was asking me about my bloody University thesis for christ sakes, eurgh!” she shuddered at the back breaking memory of 18 hour days and cold, blustery conditions in North Wales “You didn’t have to stay” she told him, still looking at the laptop screen. 

“I know it’s early, but I can amend the dinner reservation?” 

Vida checked the time, “You’ve just had lunch?” 

José shook his head “I barely ate it” 

“Did you appreciate the napkin though? Expertly folded that was” she teased, standing and facing him, “My own fair hands” she said lowly, her eyes darting around his face. 

“Hmm” he groaned, his hands finding her hips and wanting nothing more than for her to kiss him, he breathed in and smelt her shampoo, perfume, pheromones… “Please kiss me” he asked softly, he practically purred when her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she stood up on the balls of her feet to do as he’d asked. 

Matthew was whistling as he walked back through with a huge tray full of glasses, noticing the office door was closed and hearing the sound of their hushed voices escaping he made a sharp exit and left them to it.


	3. Chapter 3

It was three little words that changed their lives again. 

After 6 weeks of intense couples therapy and a defined plan devised alongside their psychotherapist Dr Graham, Vida and José were on holiday in St Lucia. They had worked hard, him planning his work schedule (punditry appearances, contractual events with his sponsors) to fit in with hers as opposed to previous months where his profile took centre stage. Vida had various projects ongoing, all London based, she wasn’t travelling for the first time in years, and the best thing - she was enjoying having one settled base - their shared home in Chelsea. 

Their therapist advised they go back to basics, so date nights, cultural experiences and family dinners had become the norm, their physical relationship had been put on the back burner rather than being omnipresent and as an activity used to go through the motions. If they wanted to have sex, they would, but it would be after going to dinner, the theatre, or in the morning before they went to work - it had become more natural again, not clinical and certainly not in any seedy hotel rooms. 

Vida had been laid on the luxurious white sands for almost an hour, José was looking at his phone every few minutes and she had noted a couple of elongated work calls over the last 48 hours. She respectfully let him get on with it, she was too relaxed to challenge him - relaxation was a mindset not natural to Vida and she was rather becoming accustomed to it. They had another three days in this Utopia and Vida sure as hell didn’t want to spend that time confronting him about his clandestine calls, if it was important he would tell her. 

He eventually tossed his phone back down onto his towel and sighed as he looked out at the azure coloured sea, he was making a big deal of this in his own mind, his eyes scanned down his wife’s body, her beach bag to the side with two cameras laid on top - this was his moment. 

“Take my picture” he said, it was both a demand and a question in one - he’d been stern enough to make her realise he was serious about this but there was a hint of vulnerability in his voice too. 

Vida moved her Ray Bans to her head and sat up, “You don’t have to ask me twice to do that” she joked, face beaming, “Do you want something instant or do you want the anticipation of me having to develop it when we’re back home? Because you know the Kodak is my hobby camera and well, it’s almost as old as you are” 

José smirked, her enthusiasm for her job was so admirable, he let her waffle on a bit longer as she loaded film into her 1960’s Kodak, her elegant fingers holding the machine with such ease and professionalism, “God, I love this thing” she said quietly, looking down and up again at where the sun was glaring so to get him in a good position. They both kneeled facing one another now, José’s white linen shirt flapping in the warm Caribbean breeze, “No” he said quietly, taking her hands in his and lowering them down until she placed the camera back on her beach bag, “Take my picture on November 20th” he said matter of factly.

Vida’s eyebrows knitted and she snorted with laughter, “Fuck José that’s cryptic, even for you” 

José smirked, “Will you do it?” he urged, still not revealing any information.

“Well, yes I’ll do it but..” she began, but he cut her off, “Thank you, that’s the day I start my new job” 

To be continued in…. José Has A Job


End file.
